Dec. 2, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S. W. 9S1 



Experimental Test of Treatments for Worms 

 in Sheep at Glen Innes Experiment Farm. 



31 R. H. H. Gennys, Manager of the Experiment Farm, Glen Innes, having 

 recommended that a certain proprietary drench foi- lung-worms in sheep be 

 tested upon some infested sheep at the Farm, it was approved that the 

 oppoi-tunity be embraced to carry out a series of experiments in connection 

 with tlie various methods usually recommended for the treatment of lung- 

 worms in sheep. In pursuance thereof Mr. Max Henry, M.R.C.V.S., 

 Government Veterinary Surgeon, was instructed to proceed to Glen Innes 

 and make necessary arrangements to carry out the woi'k. Mr. Henry was 

 dir.-cted to divide the number of sheep at the Farm into various lots, so 

 that the following treatments might be tested in an equal manner, viz. : — 

 Dosing with Proprietary Drench No. 1 and Proprietary Drench No 2 ; by 

 intratracheal injections ; by fumigation ; and by feeding on artificial grasses. 

 A certain number of the infested sheep were to be retained under ordinary 

 natural conditions as "control animals." Also one sheep from each lot was 

 to be specially marked, in order that a record of its weight might be kept 

 during the test. 



As the sheep were also found infested with stomach and intestinal worms, 

 Mr. Henry extended his observations to the effects of the various treatments 

 upon these parasites. 



A few days before the conclusion of the test, two drenches were dispensed 

 in accordance with the Departmental formula for the arsenical drench, and 

 were forwarded to the Manager of the Farm, to be given to two infested sheep 

 that were not under treatment. An accident, however, occurred whilst 

 drenching one of the sheep, and the animal died soon afterwards. This was 

 unfortunate, as accidents of this kind very seldom occnr, and the arsenical 

 drench has been used so long and by such a large number of stock-owners 

 that its efficiency in dislodging stomach worms cannot be questioned, and as 

 a rule, sheep suffer no inconvenience from this treatment, providing the 

 ingredients are mixed an 1 the drench administered in a proper manner. 



It is generally recognised that complete expulsion of worms infesting the 

 lungs of sheep is ditficult to accomplish by medicinal remedies, but the im- 

 mediate result of the intra-tracheal injections and fumigation is the expulsion 

 by coughing of a number of the parasites, and temporary relief aft'orded. One 

 need only carefully open up the bronchial tubes of lungs badly infested with 

 the thread worms and observe the tangled masses of myriads of these parasites 

 occluding the lumen of the passages, to appreciate the fact that successful 

 results are only obtainable by treatment prolonged and systematically 

 applied. 



Probably the most effective treatment of all is the administration of the 

 arsenical drench to destroy worms infesting the stomach, followed by a 



